Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Today (Thursday July 2) John Lewis has revealed details of its largest own-brand launch to date.
Created in-house by the John Lewis & Partners Design Studio team, a new womenswear collection entitled “John Lewis & Partners” comprises 300 designs that will carry the retailer’s new brand name: “John Lewis & Partners”.
The initiative is the next phase of John Lewis’ ambition to build a £500 million own-brand fashion business, with half of its products either own-brand or exclusive.
The first collection (autumn/winter 2018), which is built on the idea of ‘individuality and the myriad ways [in which] the full collection of 800 bold and colourful womenswear pieces, handbags and accessories can be styled’, goes on sale on September 4 in all John Lewis branches and on Johnlewis.com. Sizes are 8 to 20 and prices range from £10 for a cotton jersey tank to £250 for a cashmere coat
The department store group’s fashion buying director Christine Kasoulis said: “This launch is our most significant investment in fashion to date, and builds on the successful launches of our stand-alone brands Kin, AND/OR and modern rarity. It’s our next confident step in positioning John Lewis as a leading fashion destination.”
To grow its own-brand business, John Lewis has made its ‘largest ever investment’ in product development roles; recruiting 50% more designers and 70% more technologists.
John Lewis operates 50 John Lewis shops across the UK (36 department stores, 12 John Lewis ‘at home’ and shops at St Pancras International and Heathrow Terminal 2) as well as johnlewis.com. The retailer stocks around 350,000 separate lines in its department stores and on johnlewis.com across fashion, home and technology.
